The Prince's Men
by SvendalMunch
Summary: You know the story of the boy who lived. But their's another tale to be told? A boy from the wizarding world, destined to be dark, defies the odds to reach for the light. An unlikely hero from the fangs of the snake. This is the tale of Jason Strought and the secret army that helped the order. The tale of the Princes Men. Spans all 7 books. Please enjoy!
" _Are you sure?" said Ron._

 _There was the faintest trace of longing in his voice as he looked at the Elder Wand. "I think Harry's right," said Hermione quietly._

" _That wand's more trouble than it's worth." said Harry. "And quite honestly," he turned away from the painted portraits, thinking now only of the four-poster bed lying waiting for him in Gryffindor Tower, and wondering whether Kreacher might bring him a sandwich there, "I've had enough trouble for a lifetime."_

The moment Harry had thought it was over, the door to the headmaster's office swung open, hitting the wall with a thud. The three heroes spun round, brandishing their wands.

Standing in the pale light of the morning was a tall, unfamiliar man. He was thin and ethereal, almost as if created out of cobwebs and a whisper. He had long silver hair but a young, tired face. A nasty scar ran from the top of his forehead, down through his left milky eye and to his chin. His other eye was a shining emerald.

In his arms, he carried the shape of a figure, shrouded in black. Harry instantly recognized the long hooked nose, the greasy hair, the swallow skin. The man was carrying the lifeless body of Severus Snape.

Harry lowered his wand slowly, as did Hermione. "Who...who are you?" he asked cautiously.

A small chuckle escaped the man's lips. "It's funny…" he croaked, his voice sounding long since used "You have passed me more than a thousand times in these halls, and yet you couldn't ever put a name to my face."

He stepped further into the light. "I have done my job well, Severus."

His eyes looked to the face of the corpse in his grip. Harry eyed him suspiciously. Next him, Hermione suddenly snapped her fingers. "Jason Strought!" She called.

The man's mismatched eyes widened. "Uh...who?" Harry questioned, taking his eyes off the stranger for only a second to glance at her.

That knowing sigh of disappointment. Ron looked at Harry and shrugged, showing he also had no idea. "Honestly, you two." Hermione tutted "He was two years ahead of us in school and he was a member of the Order."

The man seemed momentarily surprised. But then he gave a gentle smile. "I can see why they call you the cleverest witch of your age." he said.

Harry still had no idea who he was. He himself had never remembered seeing him before. But the name was suddenly familiar. He had seen it on a list of Order members back at Grimmald Place. His name had been scrawled right next to Snape's in a handwriting that was barely legible. The man shifted uncomfortably with the weight of his load.

Without hesitation, Hermione pushed Ron away from the desk slightly. "Let him through, Harry." She suggested.

Harry looked straight into the man's eyes. His one good eye looked sad and filled with a great burden. Never breaking his gaze, Harry moved slightly, allowing him room to pass. Jason smiled. He strode carefully to the desk. He lowered himself until he could lay the body of Severus Snape down upon the sturdy wood.

And then, he fell to his knees. "Forgive me, Severus." he whispered, his voice breaking "I couldn't save you. Thank you...for everything…"

After a moment, he stood once more. He seemed taller now, his shoulders squared and proud. He turned to face the trio. "I know you have had a long and tiresome night." he spoke again, apologizing "But I'm afraid I promised an old friend…"

His eye glanced behind him. "...I would tell you our tale the moment this war was over..."

Harry was still unsure how to react to the sudden appearance of such a strange character. "What exactly is it you're supposed to tell us?" he asked.

The men let out a soft sigh. "Severus asked me to relay the tale of the Prince's Men. My story."

But his exhaustion seemed to take hold. He reached to grasp the edge of a nearby table, his legs seeming to give way. With a wave of her wand, Hermione quickly summoned a chair. She motioned to Jason to be seated. "Thank you." he whispered.

He let himself fall into the chair, his head slumping back for a moment. As he did, his robes fell aside. They revealed a gnarled leg which appeared to be "patched" in places with odd bits of metal. "Interesting looking, isn't it?" Jason chuckled "Happened when I was working on a particularly nasty curse break on a vault over in shanghai. Bill is a talented curse breaker but he'd be a shite healer."

Ron suddenly spoke. "You know Bill? How?"

Jason smiled. "Bill was my mentor."

Ron's eyes widened. "You were that guy! The one that Bill was training when we visited third year! Blimey!"

"All coming together, isn't it?" Jason seemed amused "I have been in the background of your lives from the very start."

"Diagon Alley."

Ron and Hermione looked at Harry. He started straight at the pale wisp of a man. "That's the only time we met, right?"

The two men locked gazes. "I'm surprise you remember that far back. Yes, we did meet once. All those years ago. On the steps of Ollivanders, the year my sister started school...the year the boy who lived returned to the wizarding world."

He sat upright. "It's been six long years…"

His eyes had found their way back to the lifeless body that lay peacefully on the headmaster's desk. After a moment, he cleared his throat and turned his attention to the three. He addressed them, sounding more serious. "Many people worked to bring about this day, some you knew about."

He motioned to the desk. "Others, you would never have imagined."

Hermione looked particularly interested. "An entire army of people have been working tirelessly to undo the work Voldemort did. To aide you all."

He gently flicked his wrist. A wand seemed to appear effortlessly from his sleeve. Another flick, three more chairs appeared behind Harry, Ron and Hermione. "Please. Sit." he motioned, the wand sliding back into his robes "The story I have to tell is not a short one."

Slowly, all three of them sank into the seats. Jason's one shining green eye fixed itself on Harry. "Potter, you had more friends and more enemies then you ever could have dreamed. I, myself, would never have been someone you would have suspected a friend. A slytherin close to the Malfoys."

Harry started to remember. Emerald green eyes leering from behind Malfoy in the Great Hall when he would speak ill, the white haired boy he'd seen speaking calmly to Snape outside the dungeons, the tall figure with a perfect badge affixed to his chest scolding a young cross armed Ravenclaw. He had seen him a hundred times.

Jason smiled once more. "I speak for those who deserve to be known. The heroes in the shadows. I want you to know who they were...who they are…"

After a short pause, Jason took a deep breath. "It all started that same day I met you….Eleven years ago…"


End file.
